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Photograph of a Ford Escape taxi by S.D. on Flickr
With the city's initiative to help green the taxi fleet six months old, the NY Times spoke to the drivers of hybrid cabs to the get the skinny on how well it's been working out.
Currently, only 7.8% of the 13,000 city taxis are hybrids. Most are Ford Escapes, and one owner of his Escape cab, Gerard Cherizol, said he pays only $20/day on gas these days (he used to pay $45/day with the Crown Vic). He also said it has more luggage space, is more visible and "it’s so fast, I pass like a little bird on the highway.”
However, some older taxi fares aren't fans of climbing up into the Escape. Some hacks express worries about the plastic partitions in the Escape, which basically enclose the driver from the rest of the car--some are worried they'll be trapped if the driver's side door doesn't work. Other complaints include how hybrid repairs can be more costly and can take longer (because mechanics aren't as familiar with them) and the fact that there's generally less legroom for passengers.
Still, the TLC tells the Times their studies have shown "fewer problems during regular inspections with hybrids, compared with nonhybrids." Overall, the city wants the entire taxi fleet to be hybrid by 2012. And less legroom in exchange for better air sounds like a decent swap.
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Hybrid SUVs are like jumbo shrimp.
Hybrid SUVs are high in cholesterol?
At least they'll save money on Gas right? Of course thats what all this is about isn't it? If gas was 50 cents a gallon, everyone, including politicians wouldn't give a shit about going 'green'. But I'm glad gas prices are skyrocketing. Its the only way to get us off the addiction. Its possibly one of the best things to come out of a Free Market Economy.
Eventually we're all going to be driving Hybrids at the rate the price of Oil is going up. The less fuel we use the better. In due time they'll thank the city for pushing for a full hybrid fleet.
Times are a changin. Behold Peak Oil and prepare for the changes that come with it.
Tell that to the people who cannot afford the 30 percent run up in groceries the last 3 months because of those very same oil conditions, Kojak.
Idiot.
Sorry for being the sand in your dry parched vagina Ph but that is the reality of the situation and its a reality everyone will have to accept at one time or another.
Gerard Cherizol, said he pays only $20/day on gas these days (he used to pay $45/day with the Crown Vic).
Shouldn't my fare but proportionally reduced?
Tell that to the people who cannot afford the 30 percent run up in groceries the last 3 months because of those very same oil conditions, Kojak.
30 percent? Where do you shop? Are you exaggerating or are you just clueless?
"Shouldn't my fare but proportionally reduced?"
It absolutely should.
the amount of taxies in the city should be reduced by half.
this would radically reduce congestion and pollution.
certainly hybrid vehicles are important but 45mpg vehicles are more imporant. 30mpg is to little too late.
"Tell that to the people who cannot afford the 30 percent run up in groceries the last 3 months because of those very same oil conditions, Kojak."
Americans are too fat anyway. Maybe this will make them thinner. Clean air, fewer fat chicks -- I
The enormous rise in prices of many commodities related to the production of ethanol and biodiesel to some extent subsidizes the otherwise higher price of oil. Production of biodiesels and ethanol probably contributes anywhere to a 10 to 20 cent reduction in the current price.
With that said, there is clearly an incentive to keep producing alternative "green" fuels when the price of oil rises. And these "green" fuels aren't exactly the most environmentally friendly. Now, that isn't to say that these effects are directly proportional to each other but there are clearly ramifications to rising oil outside of the simple pocketbook. Just something to consider - the political process ultimately attenuates the full environmental benefit of people switching to hybrids.
They stretched the taxi fleet Crown Vics a few years ago to give us a little extra legroom.
Why can't they stretch the Escapes?
Or, for that matter, why can't they stick a hybrid engine in a stretch Crown Vic?
Or, for that matter, why can't they extend the mandatory retirement age of the taxi fleet so we can get London Taxis? Better fuel economy AND more passenger friendly.
Legroom and fuel economy do not have to be mutually exclusive.
LinkMan, think back to HS physics. Crown Vics are heavy. Hybrids already have the extra weight of an extra motor (electric). Lighter cars require less energy to move.